Garmin 500 vs 800

I am in the market for a GPS computer but don't know if I would need the full features of the 800. Does the navigation work well? I have watched the videos on youtube and read reveiws but want some local experience with it. I am more of a rec rider but want to start racing road some so I am wanting the route logging that the GPS enables however, the nav appeals to me. I just don't know if it is worth spending the extra $300 to get the 800 with cadence and heart rate.

Thanks

Dan

Are you riding road primarily? I say it is worth it for MTB riding because there are so many trails heading everywhere that the downloadable routes you can get from other riders that you can add make it worth it. Roads are very well marked, and the 500 will do to route mapping you are looking for. You can't download maps and get turn by turn directions with the 500, but when you download the data to your computer, it will show you the routes you rode along with more data than you will ever need. I know with the 800 you have to buy extra maps from Garmin for detailed mapping for MTB riding as well. Not sure about the roads.

I am just starting to ride road. I primarily ride mountain now. Thanks for the info! I like the feature where you can download maps to it that other people have ridden that is one of the main reasons why I am considering the 800.

Make sure you get the speed sensor if you are going to ride MTB. It is a few dollars more, but the sensor really helps keep acurate data. The trees will block coverage at times and you can get lots of auto pauses. You won't need it for the road, but the trail is a different story.

Again thanks for the info.

Dan